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Five must-see Peter O'Toole performances: Nerd Alert

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Actor Peter O'Toole holds up the honorary Oscar he was honored with by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as he embraces Meryl Streep, who presented it to him, during the 75th annual Academy Awards telecast Sunday, March 23, 2003, in Los Angeles. O'Toole is a seven-time Oscar nominee.
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

A star of stage and screen, Peter O'Toole was one of the most highly acclaimed actors of his generation. He often played larger-than-life characters, which suited his larger-than-life personality, and had equal success in drama and comedy.

And while the critics and audiences didn't always find O'Toole's films to be flawless, his performances in them were rarely anything less than unforgettable. Mixed-to-poor reviews for films such as "The Stunt Man," "The Ruling Class" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" still generally mentioned O'Toole's performances as exemplary.

With that, we say goodbye to Peter O'Toole with a list of a few films that every O'Toole fan should see. (Video clips of each film are included, but may contain spoilers for the film if you haven't seen them yet.)

5. Anton Ego, "Ratatouille"

The recent Pixar film might not be the first role that comes to mind for fans of Peter O'Toole - after all, he only provided the voice for a supporting character. But the role of Anton Ego was a pivotal one in the film, where the story revolved around a rat that wanted to be a gourmet chef and the hapless human whose help he enlists.

But the movie is more than a fun cartoon comedy. It's also a touching love letter to art and those who aspire to create it. O'Toole's role as the unforgiving food critic Anton Ego was vital to getting across the theme of the film - it's easy to tear down those who try, but sometimes it's better to sit back and appreciate. O'Toole's life of ups and downs no doubt gave him a bit of perspective on this very subject. And he delivers the climactic monologue without any assistance from those beautiful blue eyes of his.

4. Maurice, "Venus"

Speaking of O'Toole's life providing perspective for a role: "Venus," one of O'Toole's final roles as a leading man, told the story of an aged actor. Maurice connects with the much younger Jessie, played by Jodie Whittaker, who is the grand-niece of one of Maurice's recently deceased friends. Maurice nicknames the girl Venus, after his favorite painting.

Their relationship is tumultuous - it's not exactly clear what Jessie wants from Maurice, but he clearly wants something more from her than she is willing to give. She takes advantage of him one moment, but relies on him the next. O'Toole's final Academy Award nomination came from his performance in this film, which is guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings. However, you may want to wait a bit to watch it until the news of the actor's death has lost some of the sting.

3. King Henry II, "The Lion in Winter"

Based on the play of the same name, "The Lion in Winter" was O'Toole's second performance in the role of King Henry II, the first being in the film "Becket." King Henry II and his family are preparing to celebrate the Christmas holiday together. Like all families, there is some tension involved. Unlike most families, the tension takes the shape of murderous plots and back-stabbing conspiracies.

Along with O'Toole, the film stars Katherine Hepburn as Queen Elanor, Anthony Hopkins as their son Richard the Lionheart and Timothy Dalton as King Philip II of France. Each of them, along with Henry's two other sons and Henry's mistress, try to plot their way to becoming sole heir to the throne and the vast English territories in France. The deeply personal drama also features razor-sharp wit and humor, and O'Toole and Hepburn together can't fail to amaze.

2. Alan Swann, "My Favorite Year"

The lesser-known comedy "My Favorite Year" stars O'Toole as Alan Swann, a thinly-veiled pastiche of Errol Flynn, in a heavily fictionalized re-creation of a true story. Flynn appeared as a guest star on "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar, a comedy program that featured the likes of Mel Brooks and Woody Allen as comedy writers.

In the film, Swann is a washed-up swashbuckling actor, still chasing skirts and booze wherever he can. Mark Linn-Baker's Benjy Stone has to babysit the troublesome actor during the duration of his stay in New York, and the two end up going through a series of misadventures which are both heartwarming and hilarious.

1. T. E. Lawrence, "Lawrence of Arabia"

The obvious choice for number one, on this or any other list. The legendary film, which is regularly found on "greatest films of all time" lists, catapulted O'Toole to stardom. Having only done a few small roles in film before being cast as T.E. Lawrence, the young O'Toole captured audiences attentions worldwide in this role. Starring opposite talent such as Omar Sharif and Alec Guinness, O'Toole's charisma filled every scene as his Lawrence rallied the Arab tribes against the Turkish forces during World War I.

This was the first of O'Toole's eight Academy Award nominations for Best Actor - a record number of nominations for an actor who has never won. O'Toole was eventually given an honorary award in 2003 for a lifetime of contributions to the cinema.

What is your favorite Peter O'Toole film? Is there one I missed in my list that absolutely must be seen? Let us know in the comments!